Hi,

below is a report on a school strike in Colchester that took place on Friday, hope this is of some use to you. (please let me know if you choose to use it)



All is not well at the little St. Helena's school, Colchester. Friday (5th December) saw a massive uprising by the students demanding their rights and absolutely prepared to fight for them.

The day began quietly enough, staff utterly unaware that discontent was brewing. By eleven however the banks had burst and around 300 students walked out of their classes and poured into the play grounds refusing orders to go back into school. Others were prevented from walking out by being locked in their class rooms by staff.

Adults shook their heads in disapproval and astonishment. Kids leapt around with new found freedom - and suddenly realised that the orders they were being given only actually have power over them if they choose to follow them.

Staff did their best to keep order and thought they were gaining a bit of control when they steered the protest behind the school and out of sight of the wider public. Ten minutes of that was enough for the pupils who then charged round the front of the buildings and out into Sheepen Road.

Shouts of "strike, strike, strike" and "we will not be moved" echoed round this normally sleepy corner of a sleepy town. Their demands? St. Helena's were imposing new form structures that would see them split from their mates and had provoked worries over why this was being imposed upon the children.

Some of them cited the fact that the 'student council' had been informed of this decision rather than consulted and that they felt they were not being treated with the proper respect as thinking people - even if young ones.

Many wanted to know why their classes were being changed half way through the year, and how this would effect their revision. Others refered to the fact that the head had called this an anti-bullying measure, well how does putting 16 year olds with 11 year olds stop them bullying them they wondered.

Chaos ensued as staff tried various rather feeble methods of controlling their charges and the children ran rings around them. Some burned their ties, one girl tied herself to railings shouting "justice!" and as they took to blockading the road they simultaneously began a series of small meetings to decide what to do next.

After what seemed like days, although in fact was around two and a half hours, the kids went back to classes with the cry "If you don't give us what we want today was round one, round two is Monday" They choose to go back to classes and they choose when - round one definately goes to democracy from below.


For regular updates of this story go to www.colchester-socialist-alliance.org